Kirin
by AnimIchi
Summary: I am Uchiha Suzaku, the heir of the Uchiha clan. What I like the most ? My clan but especially my twin sister Kirin, my little brother Fugaku and my best friend Minato. What I hate ? Those who want to hurt them. My dream ? I have no dream, it will be a reality: I will protect those I love, I will stop inequalities, I will have peace in the world and I will lead my clan to greatness
1. Suzaku (part 1)

**I do not own Naruto.**  
 **(Badly.)**  
 **(I'm French so English is not my first language, sorry for the mistakes.)**

 **(Version française sur AO3 - nom de l'histoire : Kirin. Nom d'auteur : NightXV.**

* * *

Ironically, my parents decided to name me Suzaku : which mean Phoenix. For those who do not know, the Phoenix is a legendary bird of fire, capable of reborn from his ashes.

It was not from my ashes that I was born again, but it is the rebirth that I knew then.

I don't really remember my past life, I don't even know why I think I have one. But while I was a very young toddler, not even able to hold my head straight, I had an epiphany: I am so conscious of myself! How was that possible if not because I already knew myself?

So I lived the youngest year of my life stuck in a body that could not move to my will and subjected to the good intentions of my parents: I never felt as weak as then. I always said to myself : "it is sufficient that they make me fall for that my sad existence already ceases."

What a dreadful thing to be subjected to another.

I wasn't alone, though. Strangely or perhaps it was the magic of fraternal love, my twin sister and I were connected long before we learned to speak. It was like feeling a second heart beating in unison with mine, two heartbeats perfectly synchronized in a beautiful melody rich with a promising future full of dreams and joy.

It was a comfort and a luxury that I was happy to have, the path was always easier when it was traveled with another. And I could even see a path filled with light for Kirin. Later, I would understand that what I saw then was not the love of a brother to his sister but a gift that would make my life quite different.

It is easy to forget that there is something other than the house. When our world is confined to these few walls and these two faces that are our parents, the outside world seems immense and unfathomable. I took a long time to remember that I lived somewhere and not only _At home_. It was with this curiosity that I began to want to rise up to be able to explore: whether it was this very large house where I was limited to a certain number of rooms or to this exterior that I saw from time to time.

Kirin followed me quickly in my efforts, we were encouraged by our parents: I did not understand their language, but I knew that they were happy. The brain of a child, including mine, was actually a sponge. The information from the daily days that we were thrown in the figure was still stuck. I had not seen the difference with myself but with Kirin. When one of our parents approached, she was now paying attention to them. Her black eyes were fixed on them and did not let them. When one of them stretched his arms, she tried to rise herself to take a few steps.

While our mother was going into the kitchen, she always took Kirin with her and left me with father in the living room. And now that Kirin could take a few steps without falling, she would follow directly our mother while that I remained of marble where I had always been left.

Although I am aware of this, I still let myself be trained by this habit that they had succeeded in inculcating before our first anniversary.

Parents have such an influence on our world and, once again, I find myself frightened by the domination they exert on me.

My world grew with the party celebrating Kirin and my birthday. We were sitting on a chair and had instruction not to move. The guests, people I had never seen before, marched one after the other. They all had the same procedure, they deposited a gift on the table in front of us and greet our parents. So there, our father was waving at me and the eyes of their guest concentrating on me. I even knew at that moment that they were watching me, they were evaluating me. Most of them were not friends: they had this very disconcerting ability to make me feel inferior with a single look. And let's not spare the feeling I felt for Kirin who was totally ignored, whether by our parents, their friends or their guests.

I was the center of the eyes of all. I knew I had to do well. Why did I even think that? Why was this idea of being good so important in my head then? Why, how did I know I had to impress this little gathering? Was it the innate of a child who mixed with my self-awareness? Was it my genetics that told me not to smile, not to move and to look at the people in the eyes? Was it instinct? Memory of a thousand people before me who had undergone the same thing and who had learned the appropriate behavior to this situation? Like the little animal that learns to walk so fast out of his mother's belly? I do not know but this is exactly what I had done, I let myself be carried away by all that it could be, and I played my part.

Kirin was waving on the chair next to me, people were looking more and more at us, they knew she was going to crack, they were waiting for her at the turn, they felt close to talking about it later and criticizing her. Why did I even think that? At that time I would not have known but I knew how to act before such a consequence. I didn't want to see my sister be disputed, so I left my chair first and grabbed her hand, pulling her with me outside the living room to our room. I didn't need a word to make her understand, I didn't even need a look for her to play and I was free to go back to the chair.

But as I was about to take my place, I noticed that the room I had left for ten seconds had become silent and that an imposing man stood before the table. I sat watching him and my first thought was "what darkness." Despite this white hair, nothing in this man was bright. His path was black. It was a perfect contrast between one of the men behind him who was releasing such a light.

The men and women I had seen enter before these all gave off some light or darkness, but none had reached a such dose. It's like I see the fate of these Men right in front of me, as if this fate had materialized in my eyes by this light or this darkness. It was a revelation that I forgot very quickly.

But the great man was not the only one to get that darkness, infact, the light was the only one in this group of five men. But only the light and three obscures seemed so resounding. The man laid two gifts on the table, quickly followed by the rest of his group. The man-Light as well as another that looked strangely to my parents were the only ones to share a smile with me during this process.

They had joined the rest of the guests after exchanging a few words with my parents, all except the one that looked like us (an obscure path one). He had taken me in his arms and saluted now all the guests. It was... Incredibly rude. I could walk by myself, thank you very much. However, now that I was at the height of the adults, I noticed without a bad that many of us looked physically alike: black hair and black eyes. On top of that, they all had a distinctive sign in the back, my carrier, my parents and Kirin and me too. I never thought about it but now that I saw a dozen similar people wearing the same symbol... My carrier wasn't talking right now, he was just walking between people. I was pulling on his hair because anyway, he humiliated me so much that I must return it to him. The man had a terrible pout before pronouncing my first name, but I did not speak to answer him, instead, I merely showed the finger the symbol which had taken my curiosity.

The unnamed man smiled: " Uchiha." Then he pointed at me with a finger" Uchiha Suzaku". He pointed his finger at him "Uchiha Kagami". He showed the room where my sister played "Uchiha Kirin". He showed my mother " Uchiha Akane". And then my Father "Uchiha Kite". Then this man I had pointed out to ask for the sign of the symbol "Uchiha Tetsu". He gave the name of each Uchiha present at this party.

With curiosity, because it was the first time I saw a path so strong outside my sister, I was pointing at the white-haired man. The expression of Kagami did not change when he pronounced " Senju Tobirama". I then showed the dark young man beside the Senju " Shimura Danzo". Then, in a last impulse of interrogation for this light even more bright than my sister, I pointed out the other young man to their side: " Sarutobi Hiruzen".

Kagami asked for something I did not understand, so I shrug the shoulders and pulled his hair again for good measure. I had not realized that he had adopted a serious face since the beginning of our conversation, this face immediately faded to show a new pout and a charming smile.

"Suzaku-Chan." Kagami looked at me again earnestly, which was strange because who would look at a baby this way? But I know today that Uchiha Kagami was one of the geniuses of the clan Uchiha, not in the traditional sense where each Shinobi Uchiha is strong, no, he was one of those geniuses rarely seen and whose intellect often exceeded all understanding.

His lips move but I did not understand what he was saying to me then. And because of that, I would never know it.

Because it was the last time I saw Uchiha Kagami and Senju Tobirama.

* * *

My parents had been mixed up in my little act of disappearance from Kirin during the party. They knew that it had been the best solution for their daughter, it had also demonstrated my intelligence to each of their guests but I had voluntarily disobeyed their order for my sister.

My classes started shortly after this event. Kirin was not invited to all. An instructor Uchiha came to talk to me all the days, slowly, gently so that I understand every word she tells. During that time, I had to listen to her while keeping the perfect position that was the Seiza, without moving my hands or arms, while controlling my facial expressions: I could not show confusion, neither tiredness, nor anger and not even curiosity.

I had to be and become neutral.

Do you know how complicated it is to suppress every language of the body? A contraction of the muscles at the level of the cheek, your fingers playing together, a movement of the eye – all this was outlawed and punished. I was happy that Kirin did not participate in this training, not because she would not have succeeded but because her emotions and feelings would have been suppressed and for such a light like her, it would have been sacrilegious.

As I said rather, a child's brain is a sponge – and I knew that one day I would be unable to physically express the slightest feeling. While my instructor was talking, while my whole body was still marble, I was crying internally for the loss of that something I could never recover.

What an appalling feeling – especially when provoked voluntarily.

Of course, this did not happen from one month to the next and even a whole year would not remove every one of my reactions. However, I had the most striking example just a little before my second birthday.

The Nidaime Hokage : Senju Tobirama, and a member of his team : Uchiha Kagami, were dead in order to allow the rest of the Konoha Shinobi to go back to the village. As a full member of the village, our family was in the front row to attend their funeral. Kirin did not know what was going on, she was too young to understand: however, I did. And it is surely the sad atmosphere that the hundreds of people gathered together as well as my own understanding heart, who made her cry. She was not the only one in fact, other children were crying - the same age as Kirin and me and even much older.

I felt sadness, but I didn't allow it to show up. Without even making the effort, without even making the request, my face did not feel comfortable leaving the neutrality that I had been imposed.


	2. Suzaku (part 2)

After that, the instructor began to teach me something else: reading and writing were the foundations of her instruction, but they were crossed with history and mathematics. Kirin attended the first hour of class before another woman Uchiha take her aside to follow her own lessons.

I had become curious about what she could teach my sister. In the evening, once our parents left us in our room, I always questioned Kirin. She was bored a lot, she didn't want to think about what she had learned, she wanted to play. But by dint of determination and a rude blackmail, she ends up showing me her workbook.

"I don't recognize these words." I confessed to my sister who was still pout. But it made her laugh and the temptations I felt broke. "It says "Uchiha Women's Code"" My eyebrows are frowning as my sister showed the title of her lesson. "I don't understand. What's that?" Kirin hummed then her chubby hand passed to the first point "1: A woman must be perfectly presentable. For example: Uh..." She looked at her writing and turned her eyes to me: "I don't know anymore what we wrote"

But I did so I put my hand next to her to help her follow the words "a woman cannot wear trousers, her kimono must exceed her knees. Any inferior garment is unworthy of the title of the daughter of the clan leader." Kirin smiled at me "Hmhm that's right!"

I wasn't smiling though, "is that okay?" Her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at me. "Why don't I be okay, Nii-Chan?"

"Well, wearing all the time a kimono it's not practical to be a Shinobi." There was a silence before Kirin did stoop her hand to point 5: "The daughter of the clan leader cannot be a Shinobi." My eyes grew by surprise, I crossed her gaze before reading the sentence myself but it was written.

"Kirin, I thought you wanted to become a Shinobi ?" Why did I think that? We had never talked about it! Yet my mind was persuaded that she would be by my side when I started the Academy. Since my teacher told me about this establishment, I saw us Kirin and I go there. It never occurred to me that I would be alone.

"Suzaku wants me to be a Shinobi ? I knew, by her silence and her strangely calm eyes, she felt my panic. I should not insist, she would not be endangered as a civilian, she will live a calm and happy life... Yet most of me wanted her by my side.

"Yes."

One day perhaps I would regret this decision.

* * *

Want to make Kirin a Shinobi was easier said than done. Our father immediately imposed his veto. But our mother had not said anything, she had looked at me with so much confusion, astonishment and something I had not immediately identified. It is when she comes to me after my lessons, alone, that I understood: She was proud of me.

Yet even with the silent approval of my mother whose father was undoubtedly aware, I still could not convince him but I was not close to giving up. Kirin and I were only a little over two years old, we still had time. The most important was whether she learns to read and write, the academy would take charge of its delay on history and all other things considered fundamental.

* * *

"Suzaku-Kun, Kirin-Chan, your mother and I would like to share an important news."

That spring day, father and mother seemed astonishingly cheerful. They shared eyes and smiles complicit, it was those moments, so unnoticeable and yet very real, that reminded me that they shared a sincere love. The Uchiha clan was not known for arranging weddings, unlike other clans of Konoha.

Kirin and I were sharing a secret grimace. I could be smart, seeing my parents so much in love was very strange. My sister hide her eyes, mother laughed, even father allowed himself to smile.

"-you're going to have a little brother or a little sister!"

The announcement calms us both – a second of silence before the excited cry of Kirin expresses our two emotions. An extra family member, a little one who... will depend on us. We'll have to protect him, take care of him, be by his side, teach him everything he or she needs to know. I felt the responsibility growing on my shoulders – I had to be good, I had to improve myself to protect him, always, all the time and no matter what.

A sweet smile, one becoming so rare, showed up on my face.

I will protect this child, but above all I will love him with all my heart.

* * *

"Suzaku-Sama, we are your new instructors: I will teach you the arts Shinobi Practice so much say that my colleague will teach you the theory." The two men were Uchiha, of course. My father left us in the training area of our neighborhood with a nod.

All I could think of when Tatsumi-San was starting to show me stretching was that I had to teach it to Kirin at all costs.

The physical part was more than simple, running, jumping, stretching, rolling. All this was a way to prepare the body, to soften it and to strengthen it. The complicated part was the sound – do not breathe loudly, make as little noise as possible by jumping or running. I couldn't get it at once, of course, but I confessed that I thought it was going to be harder than that.

The theory was even easier, it related the Chakra that will awaken with the exercise of body and mind, and I took notes only for Kirin later this evening. I'll start by teaching her that until I can figure out how to get under our father's nose for physical training. I alone would probably succeed, but Kirin had not yet had an excuse to go out: I will have to create one.

I wasn't as good as I thought. I understood it by trying to teach my sister the theory about the Chakra. No matter how clear it was in my mind, I would not successful to find the right words for her to understand. She was asking questions that did not even come to my mind during my teacher's explanation. So I promised to know more for tomorrow night.

But the real test for me comes the next day, when I had to slip Kirin for our only free hour outside the house. Our father was miraculously absent, so we had managed to glide to the front door.

"Where are you two going?"

Our mother questioned, a basket of clothes in her arms. I calmed the panic of Kirin by shaking her hand, then I turned to my mother: she would not say no if I said I was going to train Kirin, however, she would be have to tell father.

"I wanted Kirin and I to visit the neighborhood, she never came out and I didn't see it all."

I knew very well to lie, the proof is that my instructors had thought that my questions had come to me later. But a mother always knew everything, I had no doubt that my own mother was no exception. However, she said nothing and nodded, her empty gaze betraying nothing.

"Come back on time for dinner."

As was my case, Kirin had no difficulty in following the few exercises I had received. I was doing everything with her.

"I take Suzaku and Kirin for a walk, we'll be back before dinner." My mother announced the next day to our father, he raised an eyebrow but nodded. We went out of the house to follow her silently, she led us to the hidden training ground that we had used the day before. "I won't say anything to your father."

* * *

My mother was a strong and caring woman, but more than that, she wanted her children to realize their own dream. It was a very rare kindness and wisdom at that time.

She spent the greater part of her pregnancy to accompany us out, no matter the time or energy she had. She never hesitated to get her hands dirty by wiping our scratches, judging our performances although she did not know much herself: she had seen enough Shinobi to know what we were doing was good or not. When Kirin felt the difference of level between me and her, mother was right next to her, comforting and encouraging.

I know that it was at about that time that Kirin and I started to see our mother as an important figure in our child's and Shinobi's life. Like most women from all over the world, our mother, despite being born into a clan, was destined to remain a civilian to care for the children and the household. To my knowledge, only the Inuzuka clan was run by women and they were strongly encouraged to become Shinobi since the dawn of time.

But this was not the case of the rest of the world, and our mother, if she had been someone else, would have been put off by the efforts of Kirin. She would have told her to stay home, do the laundry and the dishes. This is what the teacher of Kirin was saying, who now taught her how to play a musical instrument – my sister was of course excellent, but the more she grew, the more the flame, the light that I always saw in her, shone.

And it was fueled by none other than our mother, Akane, with her burning eyes of joy and hope saw a joyful future and full of adventures for her daughter. I think I would never fully understand the connection they both shared, but it was a link I admired from all my heart: A legacy, a will, a hot flame that like a torch in the dark night, illuminates all hhe surrounding area.

My father had probably not seen it coming – Kirin and I were fighting each other, my mother sat on the bench looking at us with pride and he, behind her eyes wide-eyed in a rare sign of emotion.

We were not quite at the same level, but we were equal: she was faster, I was stronger. she was more flexible, I was more strategic. As only twins could complement each other, our dance was in perfect symbiosis – no matter how much we changed our movements, the other could read it too easily, we were in the head of each other.

We ended our fight in a common agreement, a first glance towards our mother who applauds then our two pairs of black eyes turned to our father. This one closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them: "You are our children, both of you. I'm proud of you. Kirin will become a Shinobi of Konoha. »

She was not the first woman Shinobi of Konoha, more and more civilians were now following in the footsteps of Tsunade Senju and called herself Kunoichi. But she would be the first Shinobi Uchiha.

Kirin threw herself into the arms of our mother, paying close attention to her belly and she cried out of joy "We have succeeded Mom!"

The name Uchiha Kirin would be treasured in the history of our clan, like the first Kunoichi and the one that opened the path to all the other Uchiha.

That evening was a feast in our home.

* * *

 **Like what, the love of a mother is stronger than anything!**

 **Please, comment ;)**


	3. Suzaku (part 3)

Kirin was now invited in my training, not the first -it was always only for me, the heir of the clan Uchiha: The control of my emotions, the history of the village and the clan, politics and the economy. (I secretly envied my sister for not having to undergo this.) But it was my duty and I would respect it.

However, she was with me at every lesson of the Shinobi, either physical or theoretical. Again, with disturbing complementarity – while she was asking more questions on the physical side, I was all the reverse, invested in the theory.

* * *

Our mother didn't get up much, father told us that her pregnancy was taking a lot of energy. Thus, Kirin and I always took an hour of our time to come to her room and told her our days. Mother loved to hear about it and she always knew when Kirin needed to be comforted.

I was learning things faster – my sister needed exercise to master something that I could pass on the first try. I knew that in one way or another she envy me a little. But we shared a much stronger bond than this rivalry that our instructors had been pleased to install. Mentally, I understood it: a healthy rivalry would make us grow and evolve ten times faster. But I was always worried that it cost us everything we share, Kirin and me.

I did not have to worry, however, because when Kirin was absent for 10 minutes to seek tea, my mother gently stroked my cheek smiling " Suzaku-Kun, nothing can break your link." This simple sentence reassured me, because there was no one but mother who knew us as well, Kirin and me.

And if she said this, it was true.

This powerful domination that scared me once was turned into a gentle comfort. It was no longer strangers, it was the only person who knew me better than I knew myself.

* * *

It happened in the middle of the night.

I woke up with a start, hearing an atrocious cry that came from my mother. Before I knew it, I had left my room and joined the ground floor. Father wore mother in his arms, he was at the door when he felt me coming. Quickly he turned to me and said gravely: "Wake up your sister, find Tatsumi and go to the hospital." A nod and he vanished.

I didn't think I'd leave the Uchiha district for the first time in these conditions. Kirin and I followed quickly Tatsumi, who even though I had woken him rather brutally by knocking on his door, was not in a bad mood and seemed rather anxious.

It was true that my mother's pregnancy, especially her last month, had filled the clan with concern. Rumors said that our birth was already complicated. And now that Tsunade Senju, the best doctor in Konoha was gone, the hospital system had dropped slightly.

There was no agitation tonight – the night was quiet. Mother had fallen pregnant in the middle of spring, the three summer months had passed just like the autumn months. We were now in the middle of winter and that night was his representation – there was no cloud, the full moon shone and only the icy cold frozen the scenery as well.

The hallway where we were waiting was empty, there was not a soul in sight and we could have thought we were alone , if not for the scream of mother who troubled this silence : it made this scene much scarier.

I finally noticed that there was no more noise, no more breath. Kirin shook my hand more strongly. Our father opened the door – I did not manage to decipher his face.

In a sign, he invited us to come in.

Tatsumi didn't follow us.

Our mother was there, her long black hair was wet, her face contained so much joy with on her chest, breathing with all the happiness of the world, a little baby.

It was beautiful. I still remember that at that time I could not think anything else.

Then mother turned her eyes towards us and smiled a little more.

« Suzaku-Kun, Kirin-Chan, come and meet your little brother Fugaku. We approached timidly, like two wild beasts meeting for the very first time in their life's kindness. Our eyes were immense but our minimal actions, we dare neither speak nor breathe lest we disturb this almost divine atmosphere.

Mother laughed and father laid his hands on both our shoulders. Then the mother's eyes fill with tears. "Kirin-Chan, continue to make a lot of effort, okay? I have no doubt that you will become a huge Kunoichi." What? What was going on? Why did mother say that? Why was she crying? Why was she smiling? "and take care of your brothers, the boys will always be boys, they will need you to remind them to reason from time to time." Mother's tender eyes turned to me, Kirin and I have still not moved, our eyes wide-eyed.

"And you Suzaku-Kun, take care of the whole clan. In addition to be an exceptional Shinobi, become an exceptional man, I know you can do it, okay?" Her tears flowed, she tightened Fugaku against her then looked father with love and joy "Thank you for everything you brought me, Kite. I love you so much, you and our family. Take care of Fugaku for me."

Mother closed her eyes.

* * *

It was a hard time for our family. We all loved Fugaku But undeniably, he reminded us of what we had lost. Time would erase that, in the weeks to come, our little brother will be our little brother and the wound will be cicatrized. Never healed.

Father had less problem than us – he had lived more, he was already accustomed to the pain. Perhaps not losing the love of his life, but he was a strong and courageous man. He fought every day without ever showing any weakness and he carried us with him in healing. By training, by conversations, by time together: he became the father whom he had never been in the presence of mother.

And I think he was surprised himself. In this difficult time for him, the village had granted him an indefinite leave of absence. It was a kind of retreat, it did not really exist for the Shinobi but there were exceptions as in those moments or even with certain clan leader who could not afford to die on mission (except in cases of force majeure, like war) – that would be his case now. If he had died before, mother would have had the role until I became ready. But now... He could no longer afford to die, except If he wanted the roles in the clan to be turned upside down and someone would overthrow me before I even inherit. (It was rare, but it had already happened once. After the disappearance of Madara-Sama, it was a fierce struggle for power despite the established chain of command.)

In the end, we were still young. No matter how complicated some nights were, the days were always bright.

* * *

It was now four years since I was training to control my emotions, I was better – I was often of a disconcerting neutrality but that was what made it a strong point. I could see everything without eyebrow: I had not yet seen everything of course, I probably had not even seen much. But it will now be the experience that I will acquire alone as a Shinobi.

And it is in this first step that Kirin and I are going to start together at the age of 5: the Academy.

* * *

 **A short part that concludes the first chapter "Suzaku".**

 **As it is so small, the next chapter will come Wednesday "What is being a Shinobi" ;)**

 **Comment please !**


	4. What is being a Shinobi (part 1)

Kirin and I walked side by side in the main street of Konoha, we were going up towards the academy. Our father was right behind us, holding the hand of two-year-old Fugaku.

We had grown up but see a difference between my sister and I was still complicated: our hair, tied in a loose tail, reached the middle of our back. Our eyes, our noses, our mouths and even our faces had the same shape. The only notable difference, which surely relieved our father of the hard task of differentiating us, was our clothes.

Kirin wore a red kimono. The cut had been made in order to allow movements for a Kunoichi, she was not entangled in dozens of layers of fabric, quite the contrary, it kept its elegance with the addition of a beautiful white obi. There was, obviously, on back of her kimono, the sign of the Uchiha.

I wore a much simpler outfit than my sister's, a simple black sweater that was marked by the symbol of the Uchiha in the back – an immense one that showed my important place in the clan, and black cropped trousers.

Kirin's hand caught mine: we had arrived. A lot of people waited already, the students were in rows, the parents in a group behind them, everyone seemed to wait for the good hour. Mechanically, we turned to our father – no matter what was in my brain at the time, Kirin's stress was beginning to invade me as well.

He took Fugaku in his arms and without a word, beckoned us to follow him. He stepped into the parent crowd and met a Shinobi with a green jacket, symbolising his rank as Chunin or Jonin.

"Uchiha-Sama." The Shinobi greeted our father before browsing his list of eyes. "Uchiha Suzaku, 4Th Class, this is the fourth row." I nodded and waited for him to announce my sister's class – which was crushing my hand. He looked at me a little longer before he glanced at my father "uh, you can join the ranks." I was staring at him, was he stupid or...?

"There is also my daughter of this year's registration: Uchiha Kirin." My father's voice broke the silence that had formed in our small group – I felt myself breathing, my sister was well enrolled! The Chunin looked at our father before looking down at me and then towards my sister. He seemed to want to say something, but he dared not, instead, he looked up to his list: "Uchiha Kirin, 4Th Class. "

Automatically, we turned to our father and bent our head in a perfect synchronisation "father, thank you very much!" Once that was done, we advanced to join our ranks, but Father call out for me "Suzaku." He had taken a step backwards and had probably returned to tell me one last thing: "Be observant." Ah. My father never said anything random, I nodded: "Hai!"

Observer huh? What was there to observe? We were very much, but it is normal, after the second war, the village would like to reform its ranks. Especially since there were still skirmishes between the village – Peace was not assured, no matter what the civilians thought. Speaking of civilians, there were strangely many of them. I had quickly recognized some members of clans – a Hyuuga, a Inuzuka, a Nara... And we both Uchiha. There were exactly twenty students per class, the clan children being grouped in the 4Th. We were a minority of five.

But it was not so surprising, we were like the civilians in a certain sense – in one family, there was no birth every year and even if there were, some preferred not to become Shinobi. More than that the girls were not very well... _Girls_. There were very few girls, despite the big boom in the male/female ratio with the advent of Tsunade Senju.

In our class, there was only the Inuzuka and Kirin, the female members of the other classes could be counted on the fingers of one hand. So the village was not so feminized that the world had wanted us to believe, I could deal with that.

My observation was cut off by the arrival of the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately, just by his presence the silence was made. The man overlooked us on a stage, he had a pipe in his hand and wore the official outfit.

He looked at us all, one by one, each pupil from the first class to our own, where his gaze did not stop longer on the clan children. "You only have one life. There is no need to choose an impossible path. It's good to live as long as you want and to die. However, protect a precious person. You should not forget it, no matter the way that you choose. * "He took a mouthful of smoke. "Now I'd like to recite a poem I wrote: When the tree is allowed to dance, we find flames. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and once again the leaves of the trees will grow back. * "

Then the man went away and the Chunin instructors took his place on the podium, ordering us to join our room. My hand was gently pulled by my twin "did you understand something about what he said, Suzaku?" That was a good question, and I was not sur of the answer "Let me think about it, Kirin." Protect someone? Yes, I thought I understood. I feel strong when I know that my training will protect Kirin and Fugaku. But live as long as we want? We could not choose, wasn't that to be a Shinobi? One day, when you least expect it, you die without being able to do anything about it. As mother, she had no choice – but she was not a Shinobi.

As to the poem of the Hokage... The tree, the fire, the leaves. It was necessarily a metaphor, but of what?

We go into the classroom and everyone choose their place when the Chunin asked us "Before you sit down, I want you to introduce yourself to one of your comrades. Those who already know each other can not choose themselves." Kirin turned so quickly towards the instructor that I was afraid for her neck. She shook my hand even more strongly and before she totally crushed it, I gently pushed her towards the only girl – the Inuzuka. Kirin glanced at me, and I smiled at her, nodding: she fully understood what I was asking her. But the Inuzuka had captured our movements and before Kirin spoke, she was already present.

Now, for me, groups of two were timidly forming. I was looking around me, till I _see_ him. A powerful path of light, as I had never seen before. Even Kirin and Hokage looked pale in comparison. I was approaching the blond boy. Everything seemed bright around him, it was dazzling. He smiled at me when he saw me approaching and he was already holding his hand for me to squeeze.

"I am Uchiha Suzaku, heir to the Uchiha clan." The boy smiled, it looked so sincere and bright once again. "I am Namikaze Minato. Uh... I'm an orphan. "Now he looked contrite "really? You are a lot of orphans at the academy?" I asked out of curiosity and especially because my father had asked me to observe. It was no wonder, Konoha had a lot of orphans because of the second war, Shinobi and civilians had left their lives and often children there. "Yes, just in this class, we're 10. It's pretty much the same in the other classes."

It was much more surprising because it meant that they were strongly encouraged to join the ranks. Which however was very contradictory, the village did not have so much money to give for scholarships to the academy. But without them, the classes would be cut in half – yet a small determination like money was not enough to become a good Shinobi. Cannon fodder. As I had thought rather, the skirmishes between villages were not over and a war could erupt from one moment to another: the village did not want few good shinobi, it wanted a lot of shinobi even poor. It counted on the clans and civilians the best rated to build the future heavy strike of Konoha.

"Nice to meet you, anyway." Minato smiled and nodded "shall we sit down." The others were beginning to sit, and I nodded in agreement, Kirin waved her hand towards me, having reserved a bench at the side of the Inuzuka "This is my twin sister, Uchiha Kirin. Kirin this is Namikaze Minato. We took a place next to her and she shook her head timidly at Minato – my sister oscillated between shyness and inflamed temperament. "Tsume this is my twin Uchiha Suzaku, heir to the Uchiha clan and Namikaze Minato. Brother, Minato, this is Inuzuka Tsume, heir to the Inuzuka clan."

The Chunin called for calm and conversations "very well, I am your sensei for your period at the academy, you will call me Morisada-Sensei. All right?" After a general "Hai", the Sensei nodded "Well, now you're going to introduce the person you met. Let's start at the bottom."

There were four tables of three at the bottom, the two in front were the only ones to hold four people. So we'd move on to the last ones. I listened quietly to everything there was to hear, observing the faces of everyone "it's Nara Kaiji." The Hyuuga presented then it was around Nara "it's Hyuuga Haru." The Sensei's eyes laid on Tsume "she is Uchiha Kirin." My sister "It's Inuzuka Tsume, the heir to the Inuzuka clan." It was customary to distinguish the heirs of clans, I wondered if Minato would think of it or not, although it was not so important. "It is Namikaze Minato." The blond was the last to pass, he smiled, he looked all the time smiling "he is Uchiha Suzaku, the heir of the Uchiha clan."

I felt a good number of looks on my back and in front of me, the Sensei had slightly enlarged eyes looking at me. The Uchiha was a known and renowned clan, I was going to be waited at the turn, especially as I was his heir. Although I am not the only heir present, the attention would be on me. I had nothing against Tsume, quite the contrary, but the Sensei's attitude would be mimed by his students – because Tsume was a girl. Maybe only Nara and Hyuuga will pay attention to both of us. And I also had the impression that Minato will surprise me.

The rest of the morning, the only time of course for today, passed quickly. Sensei explained the program and distributed material: books and notebooks. I was quite advanced in everything we were going to do this year and in the years to come. I already mastered writing, history and Mathematics for the "civil" part of the academy, I had no doubt that the other clan children knew almost as much as I did. As for the Shinobi part, I already mastered the Chakra theory and I was very good in practice also. So I would have no difficulty.

However, while Tsume and Kirin also had to have the basics of the theoretical and practical part, they might have more trouble – Kirin did not match me in any of these areas after all. I was not sur that Nara and Hyuuga have already begun their training. Civilians could have the "civilian" part practically acquired, but I don't saw instructors teaching at the orphanage: moreover, it was not the job of the matron to educate their children.

A good number of students in the classroom seemed confused to the writing on the board and in the book – so I was not wrong. But Minato... Minato had no problem, he was browsing the books of the eyes and seemed to really decipher what he saw.

"How did you learn to read?" I asked before I understood that this could be wrongly received, but again, he smiled "I was interested in reading and I found one of the supervisors to read me from time to time." From time to time, huh? If not I forcing Kirin to read more than "from time to time", she would still have trouble. Minato was different: I knew it at that moment, my instinct was not mistaken and that bright path that I saw meant something. But I still had to know what.

* * *

Father and Fugaku were waiting for us at the exit of the school, we joined them after saying goodbye to Minato and Tsume. Kirin had immediately taken the other hand of Fugaku, so I walked on the other side of our father, listening to my sister summed up our day.

Father laid his hand on my shoulder, stopping my walking and that of my brothers and sisters. "Let's eat at the restaurant to celebrate your first day at the academy." He held out his hand to the left, inviting me to enter in the Restaurant Akimichi. So I was the first to enter, followed by Fugaku who had grabbed my sweater, my sister and father.

"Welcome, Uchiha-Sama, Uchiha-San!" One was greeted by the joyful greeting of the man standing at the entrance "a table for four?" My father nodded silently and I gently pulled Fugaku's hand so that he would follow me between the aisles until the waiter stopped. Knowing my father, I was installing Fugaku back at the door and beckoned Kirin to sit next to our younger brother while I was taking place in front of her with my father by my side.

We were the most responsive, so if a danger were to happen, we could protect them immediately. My father gave me a sign of the head: he had liked and understood my way of thinking.

"So, Suzaku, what did you think of the academy?" Ah, here's the test. Kirin was cooking the meat for the two of us, Fugaku ate vegetables, my father was watching his own lot of meat, but he was watching me from the corner of my eye. "I must first confess that I have not yet deciphered the message of the Hokage. I know what he means by saying to protect someone. I only think of protecting my brother and sister as well as the clan constantly. I don't understand when he said to choose when we're going to die, I don't understand his poem either."

Father shook his head and took a first bite of his dish: I imitated him. "When at the academy, we are five clan members including the heiress of the Inuzuka. As a result, there are two girls in our class, three in class one, two in class two and three." Kirin looked up at our father at that time and added "Inuzuka Tsume is very nice, I think that we will become good friends. " I nodded in agreement " there are 10 orphans in our class and roughly the same amount in the other classes. None of these orphans are girls." My conclusion was unsaid but my father understood it obviously: _The village does not encourage girls to become Shinobi_

"What do you get out of all this?" Father quietly asked, as if we were not in the middle of a restaurant filled with shinobi and that without an ounce of doubt, some indiscreet ears was listening. Ah. It was a test, once again. Was I going to speak without paying attention or was I going to choose my words carefully? "Namikaze Minato is an orphan, but he will become very strong. He's smart. He learned to read by himself. " Implied: _The others don't_. "I 'm going to be friends with him. I feel he will be important for later." What I did not say but that my father understood _: The other orphans are useless._

Finally satisfied, my father concluded the conversation "very well, Suzaku."

The rest of the meal passed into a more playful atmosphere, created by Kirin and her first experience with the fact that yes, indeed, the fire burns and It hurts.

* * *

 *** Hiruzen Saruto lyrics are canon**

 **next chapter: The biggest fear of Suzaku is revealed! And this idiot learns how to make a friend !**


	5. What is being a Shinobi (part 2)

The next day we were back in class. I took the trouble to take notes for Kirin, although she was diligent, I wanted her to have as much ease as possible and it was through my sense of organization. Kirin and I, like all Uchiha, have a photographic memory – it was an open secret that our eyes, even without the Sharingan are betters than those of others and connected to our brain in a very specific way: the evolution of the Uchiha has done its job and allowed us to retain a well organized image very easily, whether by the colors or a very precise pattern. (Only a few geniuses had the joy of getting an eidetic memory which I had fortunately benefited.)

My sister had not the necessary perceptive to make such a note instantly – she contented herself with writing everything the Sensei said word for word, as most of the other students, except for Nara who was too lazy (and intelligent) for it, and Minato who was too smart. So I was taking care of it for her, I already knew all this anyway.

The rest of the morning passed with the "civil" lessons of the academy, once the bell for lunch rang, the Sensei said "after the meal, these are the lessons for the Kunoichis. During that time, you are free to do what you boys want." Surprisingly, no, it wasn't that amazing, this idea disliked me very much. Before anyone could get up or the Sensei leave the room, my hand was lifted: "Sensei, why do the Kunoichis have an extra lesson?"

He blinked eyes on me, as if I were the idiot here "well, there are some things that girls have to learn." Kirin beside me bent her head, she had a keen mind when it concerned the differences between women and men: a vestige of our mother's inheritance. "But Sensei, I must learn all that my brother learns. Why couldn't he learn everything I learn?" Morisada-Sensei looked at us both before sighing, he seemed to have understood something, but I was convinced that he was mistaken "it will be necessary to separate you both, one time or another." Well, Sensei had the wrong problem. So I was repeating my question "Sensei, what are they going to learn?" He shrugged his shoulders "I'm not going to teach it, but I was told it was the language of flowers."

My eyes were growing, any feminist idea had left my mind and only selfishness reigned: "I want to participate. If one day I irritate a Kunoichi and she sends me flowers, I would like to know how much I risk to die poisoned... Or worse. " Minato beside me nodded fervently " I too want to participate. Plus, we could be the ones who need to send the flowers." I had to agree with him. Especially...

Kirin by my side laughing "Sensei, you must let Suzaku participate. He's very afraid of flowers." She remembered it then. Morisada-Sensei looked at us strangely but shook his shoulders: he looked so little motivated "very well, but do not come to complain when you find it annoying."

He left the room and Tsume threw herself on us "afraid of the flowers?", Minato beside me looked at me with curiosity before encouraging Kirin to speak. I was at this moment so embarrassed that my face took a neutral tone immediately and until the end of the day, Kirin began to tell this event... "We were at the flower shop Yamanaka two years ago, I think? We were looking for flowers with father, and Suzaku went away to walk alone in the shop." She laughed a little more, probably remembering the scene "We heard a scream, so we went to where he was gone... He was being eaten by a carnivorous flower! » Tsume and Minato laugh with her heartily.

The trauma of children was not to be taken lightly. I really thought I was going to die, I came out of the flower almost in tears and my clothes smoked of the acid that the plant had cleared to kill me and reduce me to mush. The worst? I think father was as traumatized as I am. Or at least, much more angry, because he burned the plant and almost refused to pay for the damage done to the store. Infact, it had been such a controversy at the time that the Hokage himself had to play mediators between the leader of the Clan Yamanaka and father.

I believe that the Yamanaka and the Uchiha will never forget this moment – since then the store is secretly dubbed "the Mouth of Hell" by the Uchiha. As much to say that they lost all Uchiha client and that they were not close to regain them. Our neighborhood was very dull before an old woman Uchiha and her daughter opened a flower business, bringing a little life into every home of the clan.

No one doubted of the famous saying anymore "a Uchiha never forgive so don't antagonize them." anymore.

* * *

The first months of the academy passed in a relative calm, Minato and I were just in the lead for the ranking. Our time together was spent between moments of complicity and extreme rivalries. Since we were getting the maximum scores in writing, Sensei could classify us on the physical part – I had started at the age of one year, I had a very good advantage. But that advantage was very quickly reduced. Minato a genius and something in me was afraid of it. What if an orphan civilian was stronger than me, the heir of the Uchiha clan? What if I finish being beaten? What if he gets stronger than me and I can no longer match him?

It was selfish questions and my brain knew it: that fear I felt was not justified, and yet... It always pushed me and never stop, my status as a genius was revoke for me. I had an advance of years and Minato would soon surpass me: I couldn't be a genius. Every day after the academy, I trained tirelessly until the evening fell. I was running faster, I jumped higher, I accelerated faster, I was silent, my katas were more and more fluid, I started to train at ShurinkenJutsu: I did not even realize all the abilities that I had increased and the gap that I dug between Minato and me.

I stopped the intensive training at the end of our first year, when Kirin decided that I had done enough. For fear of being overwhelmed, I had completely forgotten that I was not alone. My sister had let me do it, surely, she had felt my distress. She had spent her time at the academy quietly, the best Kunoichi of the class in terms of theory but she was behind Tsume in physics. They were, however, very good friends and no rivalry was born between them.

"Suzaku." My twin sister for once had a serious face, she had just entered the training field of the Uchiha district that I had been using every day for almost a year. "Someday you'll find stronger than you. Maybe it will be Minato, maybe someone else. But there will be someone. " I sighed and put away my equipment " and what are you getting at?" She reminded me so much of mother when she resumed the word "Minato is not your enemy. But if you keep seeing him with so much fear, it turned into hatred! One day, brother, maybe you will only look at it with disgust and this friendship that you have formed will be a bond that you will have broken from your own will, because of your selfishness." I had never heard Kirin speak like this, raising the eyes of a kunai, I made up, with her eyes. Without any smile on her face... I knew she was a mirror of what I looked like every day. She seemed so cold, so distant, so far away. But in her eyes, unlike mine, shine an ardent flame.

"You have to be stronger than that, Suzaku. This fear that you stir is not what you are. Mother told you to become an exceptional man: and an exceptional man would never give up a friendship! Pulled yourself together!"

It was a mighty slap in the face as well as in the heart that my sister gave me.

I was training less, I was no longer obsessed with Minato. Becoming strong to become strong had never been my goal, after all. Become strong to protect those I love... Yes, that was the one I was after. Mentally, I wondered how I lost myself so much? What pushed me to go that far? For the last few months, I had not given him a single word of advice. I had watched his progress without showing any emotion: Minato was smart, he realized something. But he had never questioned me, when I remember the past months, I realize that he patiently waited for me: it is as if he knew the instructions for a Uchiha.

But it was much more than that and I realized it quickly in the weeks following the Kirin's reprimand. The academy taught us the ShurikenJutsu, I had really taken a lot in advance, I thought a little shamefully seeing Minato and my sister having trouble. The low head, I murmured that only Minato hears "your wrist must accompany your movement." It was just embarrassing, after so long to have said nothing, I finally told him how to do it.

However, Minato surprised me, as always, he definitely did not usurp the light of his way: he smiled. "Thank you, Suzaku." Embarrassed, the fact that I had avoided him and that he still thanks me, I turned my head to look elsewhere, raising my shoulders for only answer. I heard him laughing before watching him throw his next Kunai: It was a perfect shoot. Sensei behind us applauds and Tsume whistled joyfully.

It would almost seem as if things had become the same again.

The day at the academy was over, Kirin had decided to follow Tsume to the Inuzuka district: Apparently, the puppies were born, and the leader of the clan had invited her daughter's best friend to see that. I had dragged a little more into the room, wanting to do my homework before I went home. Minato had greeted me then was gone. I finished my exercises after thirty minutes and left the room.

Before I completely left the academy, I heard noise, more precisely the noise of Kunai hitting the target. Only the orphans and the civilians used the training grounds of the school, I knew only one of them who will train after the classes. I was going, silently, and as I thought, Minato was training. Quietly, I sat on a bench in Minato's field of vision to spot me. He finished throwing the kunai that he had in his hands and turned to me, smiling as always. Sometimes that smile upset me terribly.

In a dull tone, I asked him, "Why aren't you disturbed by me? I dodged you for months. "Minato smiles a little more, his eyes pucker joyfully" You're my friend, Suzaku, I trust you." My heart is packed, my eyes grow a little more. A friend. I had always had only Kirin, of course, Tsume and Minato have been closed to me, I had even thought that I would become friends with them. But it had stopped there: My train of thinking had stopped to "become a friend". All this time, Minato and even probably Tsume me have considered a friend – and I had never returned the favor to them.

I knew I was a strategic and manipulative person – I knew Minato would be important, I knew I had to be close to him. I knew that Tsume was an heiress, I had to be close to her. I knew I might be teamed up with Nara or Hyuuga, so I had to be close to them. I had never seen things as they really were, I had never seen that I had become friends with two great people and especially with the one who stood in front of me and who expect of me nothing.

Minato trusted me. He had not told me anything, nor even acted because he believed in me, simply. For the first time, with someone who was not a member of my close family, I sincerely smile. A flame in me began to burn.

"Hey, how about we train together? We could go to the Uchiha district, to my training ground, we'll be in peace. His smile did not upset me at all. "It seems like a good idea."

* * *

In the middle of our second year at the academy, Minato beat me for the first time. When I don't lose the next time, it won't be his last victory. By training together, his forces had risen drastically, not because he was training against me – well, it was also playing, but it was mostly because I had the right way to train. As the heir to the clan, my father always took the time to explain to me the exercises I had to do in order to become stronger – and this is exactly the ones that Minato and I were doing together, every day after the academy on my (our) field training.

«Suzaku... Son, you're second in the physical rankings." Father and I sat face to face in the position of Seiza. I lowered my head, conscious but not ashamed – I thought I had made a great personal path to feel this way and I was rather proud of it. "Minato is the first." There was a silence "do you let him win for any reason?" Surprised, I raised my head: I could not decipher his expression. "No father. Minato is very strong, and we have been training together for a few months now."

While at the theoretical rankings, we both had the maximum score, the physical ranking was done with the most fights won during the evaluations. We had won against our other opponents and Sensei had the idea to beat us against each other – where I lost. So Minato was ranked first.

"Why did you help him to surpass you?" My father asked severely, he remained after all the leader of the Clan Uchiha and he had to ask me that excellence. In a way, I had to disappoint him that day. But I was not disappointed with myself, I did not want to go back to my first state: Too obsessed with something to not see the rest. How could I explain this to my father? How could I put words on all my feelings? The solution comes to me as an enlightenment, a flash of genius, a memory marked by the misunderstanding now deciphered slowly.

"Father, do you remember the poem of the Hokage? It began like this "when the tree is allowed to dance, we find flames". With a raised eyebrow, my father asked me without a word where I wanted to go, all I had to do was to put words on the idea that had just arisen in my mind: "in the Clan age, our ancestor Uchiha Madara called his battles dance. I think the Hokage meant that... Well, the tree would be Konoha and the dance a war or at least a battle against our village. As for the flames? It is you, the shinobi of Konoha and soon, it will be me as well as Minato, Kirin and all the others."

"I think... No, I'm sure, what the Hokage wanted to say is that we are comrades. Minato will watch my back and I'll have his. I trust him and I'm proud that he can already beat me. Maybe in a month, I'll be stronger again than he is, or maybe I won't be able to surpass him in 10 years. But we become strong for the same reason and this reason is to protect Konoha as well as all the people who live there." I didn't know how to explain myself, but I didn't need to do it anymore.

Father had risen and left the room silently, at the door, he glanced at me satisfied and nodded: "Suzaku, continuous as well."

* * *

 **Suzaku learns a lesson that he will remember with all his heart.**

 **Next part: two characters make their entry!**


	6. What is being a Shinobi (part 3)

"What's his name?" I was asking Tsume who was coming to the academy for the first time with her Ninken "Kuromaru. He is the strongest of the new litter, mother has great hope for him." I humming in response, looking at the little ball of fur on the desk. Kirin beside me stroked his head and the puppy seemed to enjoy it. The lessons had not yet begun, Minato was fascinated by Kuromaru, he didn't leave him out of his eyes since Tsume had arrived.

"Sensei is a little late, isn't he?" I was asking, pushing my best friend to leave his strange fascination. This one laughed a little and scratched his hair in a sign of embarrassment. "It's true. I wonder why?" The Nara on the other side of the hall yawned and replied, "It seems that we are going to have a new girl student." I did not miss the feminine he had used and Kirin either: "Really? Another girl, I hope we can be friends!" Tsume nodded fervently.

It was strange, it was certainly not a civilian who would join the academy along the way, it meant that a clan of Konoha had accepted a girl to become Shinobi? I was not sure what to think.

Our Sensei arrived, followed by a girl as Nara said, she was redheaded and seemed hesitant between shyness and a temperament of fire. But... There was something more. She had two paths. A bright one that belonged without a doubt to the girl and the other... It was completely indescribable. I could not see the beginning, nor even the end and... No, I couldn't describe it.

"I am Uzumaki Kushina and I will be Hokage!" With her accent and surname, I immediately knew that she was from the village of Uzushio, which had been destroyed a few weeks ago now. In the background of the class there were laughter – orphans and civilians laughed at her. But Minato stood up (with a smile, of course) and said, "I want to become a Hokage too."

Now, it was no surprise, my friend had already told me of his dreams but why would he tell that girl? She went to sit after slightly insulting Minato who was sat, I turned my head towards him to observe and... Was he blushing? Was he embarrassed to have been insulted as well? He glanced at me before biting his lip and whispering to me that only I heard "she is really very pretty..." This girl had just burst him verbally and he...? It was stronger than me, for the first time in public, I exploded with laughter.

All the looks turned to me, I held my stomach, it was beginning to become painful but every time my laughter calmed downt, I watched Minato and saw him blush again and... I couldn't stop.

"Sensei! My brother must be sick!" Kirin panicked, shaking my shoulders so that I calm down, I tried to take my breath to explain to her, but Minato was faster, he laid his hand on my mouth and grabbed me with him to leave our seats "Sensei, I take care of him!" I didn't even hear the Sensei's answer that Minato and I were already outside and then in the bathroom where he sighed and looked at me and my laughter calmed down finally.

"If I had known that to break your mask, I had to tell you that I had found a pretty girl, I would have already done so." I watered my face to find some content "It's not that you found her pretty that makes me laugh, it's the fact that she insulted you and you still found her pretty."

"In any case, you can only say it to Kirin and she must tell no one." Minato knew me and my sister too well, he knew we wouldn't keep secrets. "Okay, okay. You know us, we won't say anything. But Tsume may realize it with my sister who laughs throughout the day of tomorrow... and from tomorrow. And after-the-morrow and... "He blushed and sighed while my smile was getting a little more smirk " Okay, I'll tell Kirin and Tsume tonight at the training ground."

We return to the classroom where we gently bowed to the Sensei to excuse our behavior, but he swept it with a sign of the hand – we were his best students after all.

Kirin immediately put his hand on my forehead "you have no fever, my brother. You're okay?" I smile so that only my sister sees it but does not answer.

As I had planned, Kirin made a point of becoming friends with Kushina after the revelation of Minato.

* * *

Although most of the time my sister trained Kushina all over the village to the surprise of her, the girl adapts perfectly to the character of Kirin and Tsume. I believe that Kushina did not expect to be accepted so easily, she took great pleasure in being with Kirin – but she could not watch Minato and me in front.

I think it is because we always met her at the wrong time: when she was attacked by others. At first, I thought that Minato was going to help her, but this boy always surprised me because he did exactly the opposite. I was watching Kushina get harassed by the others to the side of Minato "Why don't you help her? Are you shy?" I asked my best friend, embarrassed to look at this and not to act. But he shook his head softly and smiled "she is strong. I trust her to be able to fend for herself." It made me smile: If this is how Minato wanted to act, I would not prevent her – I would believe in her as he does.

She won the fight despite the disadvantage of the number and cast a black look towards us – she was running away.

"She may not like you very much." I say to Minato, looking Kushina go away more and more, he seemed absolutely not worried. That trust he had towards others was really strong. I did not forget that he had given me the same kind of confidence and that he had been right.

* * *

The second year at the academy ended with the last "sweep". Since we had started, some students had withdrawn because of the difficulty, parents no longer wanting their child to be Shinobi or even dismissed by the Sensei for one reason or another. Anyone could not become Shinobi after all, it was necessary that the importance of the Village and follow the orders fit in the head of each child and it was quite normal that some do not understand or do not accept it. Thus, Konoha preferred not to keep them for a matter of future security.

The last test will remove each rotten apples from the lot and leave us with a single class with a maximum of 33 students, so that none is left behind when creating teams of 3. It was a merciless sweep, they had a number to reach, not one more and not one less, and no exception would be made, only the best placed psychologically would be kept.

So, from the third year, the "Civil" part of the program disappeared. Finally, we would learn to truly manipulate the Chakra, to learn the most basic Jutsus as well as forms of fighting, strategies and all other things shinobi more advanced.

The test was undoubtedly created by the Intelligence department. The questions did not explicitly propose a trap, they looked very clear and coupled with the rules of the Shinobi that had been learned, the answers were obvious. But that was exactly what was dangerous because in the statement "If in the future one of your mission was morally debatable, could you discuss it?" The logical answer was no, but contrary to popular belief, few Shinobi was willing to do everything. Obeying everything, yes, it was obvious. However, it was up to the Hokage to know who these of his soldiers were capable of doing a mission whose morals were compromised and who were not able to do so.

The Shinobi gave his confidence to his leader and once broken, the chief had no more say because the confidence of a Shinobi often rested on life or death, as well as on a very fine line of "psychological well-being" that could explode with a single mission assigned to the wrong person.

There was a very striking example of the fact that the Hokage could not give the mission of killing a child to a father, a mother or a sibling elder: It could only be a disaster at the end for the Shinobi/Kunoichi.

In other words, it was strongly recommended that the Shinobi say that it does not feel comfortable in such a mission – that was what avoided a very big potential problem. That was not what was written in the Shinobi rules, but it was the right thing to do.

So I said, "Yes."

This test had no bad or good answers, it just needed to be consistent all along and show that you care about the village as well as the orders. The statement did not speak of saying "no" immediately, but discussing it and that was what made all the difference.

The last statement was the one on which I blocked the longest, it was written this :

"During one of your missions, you meet a citizen of the leaf you know and who is on the way back to the village. You are yourself in very bad shape, you can not change your way and you are pursued by enemy Shinobi.

1-without the civilian you will arrive at the vanguard and you will be saved but the civilian is killed by the Shinobi ENnemis.

2-you stop to save the civilian, the enemy Shinobi will kill you but the civilian is safe.

What situation do you choose?"

Again, the obvious answer would be the 1 because a Shinobi was much more important than a simple civilian, it was written in the rules. Moreover, this civilian was not a merchant, not a nobleman. Just a person who was there in the wrong place and at the wrong time. But it wasn't just a civilian, it was someone we knew: it could be the ramen merchant or even someone from our family. And I imagined, if in this case, it was my little brother or even a member of the Clan Uchiha, a resident of the village that I greet all the days and greets me all the days. Could I then let him die?

"Live as long as you want and then die.*" That was what the Hokage said at the time of his presentation two years ago. Was is this? That one day, for a reason and a cause that we care about, we choose to give our life? One day, I would rather die than continue to live and I would die then, and it would be my choice.

If a member of my family or a friend were in danger of death, I would jump in front of any attack to protect him. Yes, I would choose to die and I would be proud of it.

The flame that bright in me becomes stronger as I'm answer the 2.

* * *

Fugaku entered the Academy this morning. Kirin, father and I were among the crowd, watching the new students receive the speech of the Hokage – the same one that had marked me and that I was still decipher.

This year he was not the only one of the clan Uchiha to enter, there was also a girl – the second after Kirin, Uchiha Mikoto. The two stood rib to rib in the row and seemed already arguing. They just met a few minutes ago, though. There were also two Hyuugas, twins like Kirin and me: One was the heir of their clan. There was also a Akimichi boy and – surprise, a Yamanaka girl, a Nara girl and a last Inuzuka boy.

Since my own first year, there were many more girls (about twenty) and students in general, there were 5 classes of 20, many more civilians but fewer orphans. This year would probably graduate more Shinobi than ours.

* * *

"Big Brother!" I trained with Minato on our training ground in the Uchiha district when Fugaku called me, we stopped to look towards the entrance where my little brother was waiting patiently. He had an air scowl on his face that made me almost smile – he was cute but I won't tell anyone. "Yes, Fugaku?"

He sighed, scratched his neck, rolled his eyes and finally decided to speak "Do you have any notes from your first year at the academy?" I had, of course, I did not throw them precisely for this kind of situation but I was curious to know why. That's exactly what I asked so, my little brother scowled a little more but... he was blushing? My beloved little brother was blushing.

He grunted something "repeat please." Minato had gone away, a hand on his mouth and had turned back so that he was from back, but I saw his shoulders were shaking – he laughed. "Mikoto beat me on our first test!" That was the way I thought. "Is it serious?"

"Yes, I want to be stronger than her!" Okay, a very young rivalry it wasn't serious, was it? Well, it's also at this age that I had adopted this unhealthy rivalry with Minato. But why was Fugaku blushing then? "Why?" My little brother becomes the same as a tomato. I was missing something, wasn't I? "Nfar! It's none of your business, big brother, now, do you have any notes, please?!"

"Well, in my office, the bottom-right drawer. These are all my grades on the first year, you can take it all." He sighed and nodded to me "Thank you brother!" Then he ran off. Once he was far enough, Minato burst out laughing. "What? What is going on?" I asked my best friend, he wiped his eyes and looked at me with far too much amusement. "Tell this to Kirin tonight and you'll understand."

* * *

The sharp cry that my sister made this evening could have awakened the dead, she came out of my room at the speed of light, passed our Father aback and opened the Chamber of Fugaku in a huge burst: "Our little brother has a crush!"

I was looking at all this next to our father. Fugaku howled that it was certainly not the case and began to throw his toys on Kirin who dodged them happily by leaving the room and singing "Mikoto-Chan is very pretty! You have good taste!" The youngest member of the family went out in his turn from his room, the red face of embarrassment or anger, I was not sure.

"Big Brother why did you tell her?" I looked at him as if he had another head. Why did Kirin even think he had a crush? I had understood the crush of Minato because this one had immediately found Kushina pretty, but Fugaku had said he wants become stronger... Kirin laughed and leaped upon me, grabbing my shoulders in a loose embrace "little brother, you will learn that your big brother can be a genius but he is very slow in everything that does not concern the Shinobi! He has understood that you had made her your rival and he did not find anything strange in telling me!"

The spiteful look on my brother face was verdict I had really missed the important information of his statement. But father at our side laughed, breaking the strange silence that had crept between us. He smote my shoulder with affection "Don't worry son, someday like Fugaku, you'll understand. Now it's dinnertime."

I smile, so my little brother also wanted to protect someone.

* * *

Father, Kirin and I stood in front of the lake which served as a training ground at the Uchiha learning the Jutsu of fire. "You are aware of _Katon-Gōkakyū No jutsu,_ The Uchiha technique which is a ritual of transition to adulthood in the clan, right?" We shook our head in unison. "I've been waiting until your 9th birthday so you already know what the Chakra is and how to manipulate it. I know you're all both able to learn it quickly now. The Mudras are:" Our Father wove the signs of the hand gently while spelling them for us "Snake-goat-monkey-pig-horse-Tiger." The fire came out of his mouth.

I had a strange feeling in my stomach, not fear, not even apprehension: I had the feeling that I had to realize something now while our father was transmitting a technique that the Uchiha had been doing since the night of Time.

Kirin and I took his place in the vicinity of the lake and in total coordination, we became adults.

"The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and once again the leaves of the trees will grow back.*"

Ah. That was it. This fire burning that I felt in Kirin, the same fire that our mother had fanned. That fire that I felt in me with the will to protect. That fire I felt at Minato and his dream of becoming Hokage. That fire I felt at Tsume with that burning desire to prove herself. This fire I felt at Kushina with the need to be loved. That fire I felt in my father as the leader of the Uchiha clan. That fire I felt at Fugaku and his love for Mikoto.

It was the same fire that illuminated the village. And it was from this fire that the next generation would shine.

I finally figured out what a Shinobi was.

* * *

 **A little love to conclude this chapter of the life of Suzaku.**

 **Thousand adventures are in his future although our character does not know it yet – The next chapter is called "Let's Walk Together" and it's going to be long: it will contain moments Link between the characters that we know and others that we are going to discover. It's going to be a long way to the end of the exams Chunin, Suzaku does not know what is waiting for him and unfortunately, I'm not going to be the nicest to him.**

 *** Hiruzen Sarutobi is canon.**


End file.
